Damned 10th birthday
by Sophies-Welt
Summary: Gibbs always takes Abby out for birthday dinners, but what happens when something changes? (Gabby story)
1. Chapter 1

Everything had started the first year after Abby joint NCIS, she was 24 and had just finished her studies. One of her professors at the university recommended her to NCIS because he was close friends with the Madame Director.

She had fallen in love with Gibbs, her boss, from the first moment they met. But there was something different between them, a strong bond, which made them feel really close from the very beginning, also creating a strong connection between them. That was what made Gibbs take her out to a birthday dinner at a fancy restaurant. After the dinner, they went dancing a bit and finished the evening at one of their homes with a nice bottle of wine, which always led to birthday sex, because of pure attraction, lust, but not love. The next day they would behave as if nothing had happened. He gave her pecks on the cheek, brought her a Caf-pow!, was overprotective of his favourite. He also started to learn ASL so that he could communicate with Abby in a way the others wouldn't know. For a lot of people it seemed as if they were together, but they weren't. Still there was some jealousy from Abby's side. She had to watch him chase after redheads and having relationships or wives on and off. Abby on the other hand was dating random guys, but never found someone serious for a relationship. She tried it once with McGee but he wasn't the guy she was really interested in.

As time passed by they continued to celebrate her birthday for nine more years now and this year was the tenth coming along. Gibbs wanted this birthday to be special, not only because he had to make up for making her work while she was sick. Abby had stomach flu and was working nearly 24/7 for over week. They were trying to solve the case of six dead marines at the port. In addition to that he was seeing Hollis, although it wasn't officially yet, but he knew that Abby didn't like her, so he wanted to keep it quiet as long as possible.

On her birthday Gibbs took Abby to a restaurant from where one had an amazing view over the city. The dinner was brilliant, the atmosphere was amazing and his gift left her speechless, a diamond necklace for her ball gown. After the dinner they made directly to Abby's apartment and like always they ended up in her bed, but this time, it wasn't just meaningless sex, they were making love; it was as if their souls were melting together. He'd only felt this once, with Shannon. Soon after Abby fell asleep, but Gibbs couldn't. He felt guilty, guilty for a lot of things. On one hand he had betrayed Hollis, he was in a relation with her, but he had to confess to himself that he wasn't in love with her. He loved Abby, he had realized it after the explosion, but a relationship with her would be dangerous on many levels. He wanted to protect her and not make her an aim for those who were searching revenge on his behalf, then there was also rule 12 and or perhaps he simply was just not ready for it yet. He was now watching Abby sleep. She reminded him very much of his first wife Shannon, they had the same form of the face, the same green emerald eyes. Shannon was just a bit smaller and had red hair, although Gibbs didn't know Abby's real hair colour, and Shannon was less hyper than Abby, but he loved her hyper activeness.

It was time for him to leave. He knew Abby would be hurt because he normally stayed until after breakfast, but not today, he couldn't, he needed his boat to sort out his feelings and emotions.

Abby woke to the sound of the door shutting. She knew that he would leave soon because tonight something had happened he wasn't prepared for, she neither; she never wanted to show him how she felt. Of course she was in love with him from the very first moment, but she knew that he was dating someone; she just didn't know which redhead. It hurt and it hurt deeply. She stood up and opened a window to get some fresh air into her flat. It was snowing outside and normally she would love it, but right now it was just depressing her further. He had given her this year a black velvet dress with a V-Neck right before they went to the birthday dinner, she really loved it and now it was lying there on the floor, thrown away in a heat of passion.

She was happy that tonight was a Friday night and she had two more days to get over it, forget that it happened, as always. She was supposed to go and visit her parents tomorrow, she really loved them and only saw them a few weeks every year, but was inclined to cancel that.

Abby went into her living room in search for more wine. She needed to forget, simply forget how horrible her life was. She was now 34, didn't have a boyfriend, was only dating jerks and stalkers, having a crush on her boss since the first day, which meant for ten years now. She was really pathetic. She didn't have real friends beside her work colleagues because she never had time to go out. Also making new friends was hard work and she just didn't have the time to establish relations with doing a good job, which she always did, for which she got the big bucks. But she felt lonely, sometimes actually very lonely.

When you'd ask anybody how they would describe her, the first thing they would say: A happy person, sunshine personality. But it was just her cover, like a mask, underneath she was sad, unlucky and lonely, but she didn't need anyone to pity her. Her room was getting freezing cold now, so she went to shut the window and crawled back into bed and fell asleep shortly after that.

Back on Monday she was her happy self again. She had gained some strength during the time she'd spend with her parents. The first thing she did coming into work was to see Ducky. He was early as usual and she pulled him into a long-lasting hug. He was like her grandpa to her, always there for her and he understood her without telling him everything.

"My dear Abigail, I'm glad to see you too, but I'm having trouble breathing here" Ducky told her

"Oh, oh! I'm sorry Ducky!" and Abby let him out of her hug "I just needed that!" she replied kind of a bit embarrassed

"Is there something troubling you, my dear?" he was having some suspicions because she was doing this every year after her birthday. But he still couldn't find out why.

"No! Everything is fine! But I just wanted to ask you something. Sister Rosalie, you know, one of the nuns, with who I go bowling, you know, every Thursday, the small one, with the blond hair...anyways she normally goes to opera every Tuesday, but this week, she has to attend to a congress so she gave me the tickets. I have two now, but I don't know who else I shall take with me. I mean, I don't think Ziva would like that kind of music, Timmy hates it, he told me once, and Tony would run out of it before hearing the second note. So would you like to join me?" Abby asked bouncing up and down

"What about Jethro?" Ducky asked her

"What about me?" Gibbs asked entering autopsy and Abby was closing her eyes

"Well it seems our dear Abigail has got two tickets for the opera and I was just asking her why she didn't ask you to join her?" Ducky was observing them closely. It seems that Gibbs was tensing a little.

"But Ducky I was asking you" Abby protested

"Well my dear, but I'm busy too. Mother is having some ladies for dinner and I definitely can't leave her alone, doing some cooking, she'll put the whole kitchen into fire before even having cooked something."

"What a pity!" Abby answered sad and let her shoulders fall down. "You wanna go Gibbs?" she asked still looking at the floor. He knew she had only asked him because Ducky kind of set them up.

"Sure, why not?" he answered and disappeared in direction of the bullpen.

"Well thanks for that Ducky" Abby said sarcastically "Just the person I wanted to see."

"My dear Abigail, don't you want me tell what had happened between the two of you? I'll prepare some tea and you can talk to me about it." Ducky was already on his way to prepare some tea.


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs disappeared quickly into the elevator. He needed time to think about what to do next. He wanted to talk with Ducky about Friday night, but instead he found him with Abby there and now Ducky had set them up for a date. He gowned, why had he accepted it? He could have said he was busy too. But on the other hand he was looking forward to spend some time with Abby, hopefully she'll treat him normally. Today she seemed a bit cool and didn't look him in the eye, maybe he should bring her an extra big Caf-Pow! But if he was honest with himself he knew it had to be something about Friday night. Maybe she was angry that he left in the middle of the night. But he needed time to think, when he arrived back home he worked until sunrise on his boat, he wouldn't go upstairs and sleep in the bed which he had recently shared with Hollis. But with her it was just senseless sex, she was an attractive woman but she had a cold heart. Gibbs sighed, why was it always that complicated with women? Something had changed between him and Abby that night, he couldn't name it, but it was so intensive, so wonderful. Maybe he should accept that he'd fallen in love with his forensic scientist, but it was against his rule. And he still didn't know if Abby felt the same, felt more than friendship, wanted to be more than his friend. Probably not. He was too old, her boss, a bastard and a man with three divorces. The elevator arrived at the bullpen and Gibbs saw his team hurrying to the elevator, probably they had a new case.

* * *

Meanwhile in autopsy:

Ducky had brought two cups of tea and Abby was sitting now with Abby at his desk.

"Now my dear, enlighten me what happened between you and Gibbs?" Ducky requested and brought his cup to his mouth, wanting to take a mouthful of tea.

"We had sex." Abby said bluntly "And it wasn't the first time."

Ducky was now coughing, he wasn't prepared for what he had heard, and he'd never imagined Abby being so blunt. He knew that Abby and Gibbs were close, but he didn't know that they were this close. Meanwhile Abby had blushed three shades of red. Ducky looked at her inquiringly.

"Well….you know …every year on my birthday…he takes me to a restaurant and dancing and usually we end up in bed." Abby was getting nervous and started to pace "We did this also this year….but it was totally different Ducky….before it was more like casual sex…but this time it was so intensive….with so much love….well…I can't describe it…and then he simply left in the middle of the night….normally he'd stay until after breakfast….and since then we haven't spoken a word Ducky!" Abby was getting angry "Did I do something wrong? Or maybe did he recognize my feelings for him? What if he doesn't have any feelings? Or was it because he is seeing someone?" Abby was an emotional wrack.

"Shhh my dear, come here and drink some tea." Ducky motioned her to sit down. For him it was a lot to absorb. He didn't know that Gibbs was seeing someone; also he didn't know how he never recognized all these years that there was more to the eye than them being only friends.

"Abigail, we both know Jethro. Probably he needs time to figure out his feelings. Maybe he just recognized that he likes you more than a friend. You know he's not good with words. Give him some time." Ducky tried to calm her nerves. He needed to talk to Jethro urgently.

"Maybe you're right Ducky, but he could have called me or something." Abby said and her eyes were becoming sad "What if our friendship is destroyed now?" Abby sighed and a tear was rolling down her cheek.

"Easy now my dear." He whispered gently "Wait and give him time, you're friendship is too strong for being destroyed but such a thing." Or at least he hoped.

* * *

A few hours later:

The team had arrived back from the crime scene. And Gibbs had sent Tony down to bring Abby the evidence because he needed to find a Caf-Pow! for Abby, a very hugh one. When Gibbs stepped out the elevator he was greeted by Tony entering it.

"Boss, Abby is in a very bad mood today, she doesn't want to talk about it." Tony informed him

Gibbs just nodded with his head. He knew that she was in a bad mood and it was just because of him. He had reacted like a complete idiot and that she was hurt he could understand. He just hoped that their interaction could be as normal as always. He was still insecure and didn't know what he should say to her, he still wasn't sure how to react and if he should listen to his feelings.

When he went to her lab he could hear music, but it wasn't her usual noise, she was listing to something classical, a concert for piano and violin. That was what he could tell, which composer he didn't know. Abby saw him coming because she was sorting through the new evidence.

"I don't have any results yet." Abby said, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible

"I know." Gibbs answered calmly and gave her an extra big Caf-Pow! but today he didn't get a smile only a small "Thank you".

"So, why are you here?" Abby asked him directly

"Abbs…" he hesitated, he still didn't know what to say "I…about Friday night…" he wanted to start but they were interrupted by a person coming into the lab. It was Hollis.

"Ah here you are Jethro, hello Abby. I've been assigned to this new case too, so we can work together closely." She informed them. Abby hated her but forced a smile to be polite. "How about having dinner at your place tomorrow?" Hollis suggested and Abby figured that she probably was the person he was seeing; Hollis was asking him with a familiarity that Abby couldn't explain differently.

"He already has a date tomorrow evening." Abby informed her calmly seeing Hollis smile disappearing.

"Is that so?" Hollis was looking from Abby to him and then back to her "With you?" she asked derogatively.

"Yes Hollis, with her." Gibbs answered and hoped that Hollis would stop speaking in a disparaging way about her.

"So was she the reason you haven't had time for me this weekend Jethro?" Hollis asked bittersweet

To Abby it felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart with a knife but it wasn't the moment to show Hollis that she had hit home. The situation was saved as Gibbs phone started to ring which involved him and Hollis hurrying upstairs. As soon as Abby heard the elevator doors closing she started to cry, letting out the pain that had caused this strange meeting.


End file.
